BG-E11 User Preview
A reader of the site sent in some pics of the new BG-E11 battery grip for the 5D Mark III. It was noted a view new features and differences between it and the BG-E6 for the 5D Mark II.

all these great features and yet they still think it necessary to have to remove the battery entirely AND have an on/off switch. Not having it switched on and missing that one shot because of a memory lapse isn't really fair now is it. Get rid of the on/off switch! I won't even mention how ridiculous $350 is.

ps. Canon could take some inspiration from Nikon when it comes to battery grips.

all these great features and yet they still think it necessary to have to remove the battery entirely AND have an on/off switch. Not having it switched on and missing that one shot because of a memory lapse isn't really fair now is it.

The same could be said for the mode switch on top - maybe that ought to be eliminated. Eliminate Av, Tv, and M modes because it is far too easy to mess up due to a memory lapse.

Seriously, your request is ridiculous. Don't like the on/off switch? Turn it on, and hot glue, silicone, or just tape it in place. The switch is there for convenience, so that those of us who might brace the camera against a fence, a tree, or a pole to stabilize the camera on a long shot won't accidentally actuate one of the buttons on the grip. Turning it off is optional, so my suggestion to you is to just turn it on and then forget about it.

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Get rid of the on/off switch! I won't even mention how ridiculous $350 is.

I'm sure Zeikos will come out with a $120 grip before too long, and then a bunch of chinese knockoffs will appear for $60 ea. But, you are complaining about the price of the grip for a $3500 body? Seriously?

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ps. Canon could take some inspiration from Nikon when it comes to battery grips.

Right - as a previous user mentioned, they could require the grip to unlock certain features. They could halve the frame rate without the grip, or maybe they could cripple bracketing - oh, I know! Maybe they could eliminate some of the setting views from the two integrated displays, and move those displays into the grip, or perhaps they could eliminate the realtime clock and move it into the grip, so your photos aren't timestamped without the optional grip. I like your thinking; they could take a cue from Nikon and expand upon their business model, and create a whole new revenue stream. [/quote]

ps. Canon could take some inspiration from Nikon when it comes to battery grips.

Agreed - Canon could force you to buy a grip to unlock a higher frame rate for the camera. That would be lovely.

Nikon need the battery grip to supply a higher voltage to the film winding unit

Seriously though, Canon need to dump the extension piece that fits into the battery compartment and adopt the Nikon solution of simply having electrical contacts on the bottom of the body (preferably with some weather sealing). I don't understand why Canon has stuck with this system -don't tell me that Nikon has their technique patented...

ps. Canon could take some inspiration from Nikon when it comes to battery grips.

Agreed - Canon could force you to buy a grip to unlock a higher frame rate for the camera. That would be lovely.

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Right - as a previous user mentioned, they could require the grip to unlock certain features. They could halve the frame rate without the grip, or maybe they could cripple bracketing - oh, I know! Maybe they could eliminate some of the setting views from the two integrated displays, and move those displays into the grip, or perhaps they could eliminate the realtime clock and move it into the grip, so your photos aren't timestamped without the optional grip. I like your thinking; they could take a cue from Nikon and expand upon their business model, and create a whole new revenue stream.

I said "inspiration" not "directly copy Nikon's grips"

I mean simply how the grip attaches - that arm sticking up into the body isn't the best solution in the world. Canon already have the wireless file transmitter grips - they could easily apply that design to a dedicated battery grip.

Just curious. How are we supposed to put an L bracket on this sucker without blocking the battery tray?

Seriously, that's quite a good point. Maybe Canon has done it deliberabtely so that pros will choose the 1D X...

Right, because the 1-series cameras don't have a battery tray that opens like that. Oh, wait, they do. So the L-bracket has an opening for it, as I assume the L-brackets for the gripped 5DIII will have, as well.

Just curious. How are we supposed to put an L bracket on this sucker without blocking the battery tray?

Seriously, that's quite a good point. Maybe Canon has done it deliberabtely so that pros will choose the 1D X...

Right, because the 1-series cameras don't have a battery tray that opens like that. Oh, wait, they do. So the L-bracket has an opening for it, as I assume the L-brackets for the gripped 5DIII will have, as well.

Yes, looking at it again, it slides out from the side like the 1D series. On first glance I thought it unclipped from the bottom.

canon rumors FORUM

Besides the crazy price Canon is asking for this new grip, has anyone noticed how poor the build quality looks in these pics?? Or is it just me? The gaps where two plastic edges come together above the switch are quite wide in this pic:

Even my Phottix 50D grip looks like it has better build quality! And can someone please tell Canon to get a designer who does not think we live in the past?? When are they going to wake up and realise that an extra 5 minutes design work to create an ergonomic battery grip will sell like hot cakes?! Just a simple round edge that mates perfectly to the camera body (something akin to what Nikon does, just better) and has a simple water tight gasket will make all photographers happy!!!

Maybe we should get the 3rd-party manufacturers to actually improve on Canons design and not just make knock-offs. Maybe THEN Canon will wake up from their slumbering dominance.